In the field of building construction, it is quite commonplace for concrete or concrete-like materials to be employed in the fabrication of floor slabs, wall slabs, reinforcing beams, and the like. Techniques in formulating, pumping, and casting concrete have advanced to a point that concrete is unrivaled as a building material for many construction projects. Such projects are not limited to commercial or industrial uses, and also include residential uses, transportation projects, and the like.
Although concrete in semi-fluid form is extremely easy to cast and form in a desired shape, cured concrete is extremely hard and extremely difficult to drill, cut, or otherwise reshape in any form. Oftentimes floor or wall slabs are cast with openings pre-formed therein to accommodate the mechanical systems of a building under construction, such as electrical conduit openings, HVAC duct openings, plumbing runs, or the like. However, practical experience has shown that it is almost always necessary to create further openings in the concrete floor or wall slabs to accommodate changes in the building design, unique requirements of the building tenants, or the like. As a result, a large and flourishing industry has been created specifically to cut or drill cast and cured concrete.
When it is required to bore a hole in cured concrete, it is necessary to use a high strength boring bit, such as a diamond tipped bit, and to use a liquid lubricant to increase the boring speed through the concrete and to decrease wear on the boring bit. The drill lubricants also carry away not only the substantial heat which is generated during the boring process, but also the debris which comprises the material removed from the slab to form the hole. The lubricant liquids used in boring holes in concrete include water and also aqueous solutions of lubricant compounds.
As a hole is bored through cured concrete, the lubricant combines with the drilling debris to form a muddy slurry. Due to the fact that a large amount of drilling lubricant is often required, the volume of drilling slurry generated by the drilling operation is also quite large. This muddy slurry can create a substantial clean-up problem, especially when the hole being drilled is within an occupied building. Generally speaking, there is no device known in the prior art for easily containing and removing the drilling slurry before it creates a messy worksite which must be cleaned after the drilling operation is finished.
The following United States patents comprise the closest known prior art:
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